


Sunspots

by Beleriandings



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Friendship, Gen, discovering their powers, very-new-at-this confused teenage dragon warriors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-18
Updated: 2016-06-18
Packaged: 2018-07-15 21:02:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7238389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beleriandings/pseuds/Beleriandings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Psh. Stop it, you’ll damage your eyes. Mine aren’t vulnerable to things like that, but you, Ouryuu…”</p><p>Zeno frowned, dodging Abi’s hand again and stealing another look at the sun. “……..Actually, it doesn’t seem to hurt.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sunspots

Seiryuu was sitting on the roof in front of a sunset splashed with pink and blue and flame orange, a dark figure cut from the brightness, when Zeno finally clambered across the sloping, red-glazed tile surface towards him. 

No, not just Seiryuu; _Abi_ , Zeno corrected himself, for it seemed to odd to refer to a someone not far off his own age by his title rather than his name, even if he had once had a lordly station. Another, lesser title went with that, one Abi never used anymore, Zeno knew; he supposed such things seemed a little superfluous when one had a place at the side of the King and the power of a dragon within. 

Not that Zeno knew so much about that. He was trying hard not to show it, but he didn’t understand what was going on at all. The others all had incredible powers, yet so far the most obvious change Zeno had noticed in himself was merely the change in his hair colour. It had been a sort of sandy brown before, quite dull and easy to miss in a crowd, and he still hadn’t quite gotten used to seeing its new bright gold reflected back at him in the surface of a still pool or the long mirror in his very own parlour in the palace. 

That was all very well, but then there were the less obvious things too; the time he had skinned his knees and elbows falling, and they had healed over after just a moment, the dirt and blood revealing quite smooth and unmarked skin below when it was wiped away later. The fact that his fingernails didn’t grow anymore, nor did his hair. The fact that he could drink more than he ever had been able to before, while only feeling lightheaded. 

A strange set of powers to have, these little and very human things, he thought yet again. Once more, he wondered why the dragon god should bother. And that was the other thing; since he was a boy, he had been able to hear the gods’ voices, whispering in the background of his head or talking as though close to his ear, telling him secret truths that most people missed. 

Now, though, they had gone, and the world was a silent place indeed. 

Except when he was with his king and his new brothers in the dragons’ blood. He smiled a little at that; though he barely knew them yet - and still felt a little intimidated by each of them apart from Hiryuu himself, he had to admit, these strong, brave warriors - he could feel their connections, the warm and oddly comforting lights of the others in his mind. Somehow, they felt _right_.

It was something, at least. 

It was the blue light he had followed up here, climbing up through the little door to the roof by the gable.

Abi did not turn to him until Zeno had come and stood at his side. When he did, it was with a slight smile. 

“How did you get up here?” Zeno asked. “Did Shuten bring you?” he glanced about. Shuten still rather frightened him a little; he wondered if he would ever truly become close to the tall man with his sharp spear and equally sharp words. 

Abi shook his head. “No. I came up here the same way you did; I climbed.”

“…Oh.” 

They were silent for a little while longer, as the sun set, lancing orange-gold brilliance across the land towards Hiryuu Castle, the light striking off the red roof tiles. 

“You know, it’s interesting” said Abi. “I never saw them before, the spots on the sun. But there they are.”

“What?”

“You can’t see them, but there are little dark spots on the sun. I never could see them before.”

“But now you can?” Zeno squinted doubtfully at the sun, narrowing his eyes against the glare. 

“Now I can” said Abi, nodding. He suddenly seemed to notice what Zeno was doing, and clapped a hand over his eyes. “Hey, didn’t anyone ever teach you not to look directly at the sun?”

“ _You’re_ looking at the sun,” Zeno pointed out, ducking out from beneath Abi’s outstretched hand with a smile. “You just asked me what I could see. I had to try.”

“Psh. Stop it, you’ll damage your eyes. Mine aren’t vulnerable to things like that, but you, Ouryuu…”

Zeno frowned, dodging Abi’s hand again and stealing another look at the sun. “……..Actually, it doesn’t seem to hurt.”

“Maybe not now, but it’s deceptive. I always used to try to look at the sun, when I was a child…”

Zeno couldn’t resist a grin. “I’m surprised, Seiryuu. Didn’t anyone ever teach you that’s dangerous?”

“Sshh. I was a child, and I wanted to see if I could do it! It didn’t hurt at the _start_ , and my nurse always gave me a terrible talking to after, but…” Abi frowned at him. “Stop it! Doesn’t that hurt you?”

“…No. It…” Zeno frowned deeper, trying again. “I used to do that too actually, so I know the feeling you mean. It still feels too bright…” he frowned, squinting. “But it doesn’t hurt like it used to.”

Abi stared at him, doubtfully. “Zeno… what are you - ”

“Still” Zeno interrupted with a smile, suddenly wishing to smooth the frown lines that had appeared on Abi’s brow. “My vision’s not as good as yours, so I’m afraid I can’t see the pretty dots on the sun.”

“A shame” said Abi, gazing up at the sky again. The sun was truly beginning to set now, just brushing the horizon. _Perhaps it’s just because the sun is so low in the sky_ , thought Zeno, _and its light is dimmer at sunset_. But somehow he didn’t think it was that. Abi’s voice brought him back to the present. “Everything looks… much more beautiful now. I wish you could see it too, Zeno. Not just the sun, but everything in the sky, everything in the world…” he shook his head, looking a little embarrassed. “Well. I must sound silly. I just didn’t realise there was quite so much to _look_ at before, I suppose.”

Perhaps, Zeno thought, this was the real Abi; perhaps he had just gotten to know his new brother a little better. 

“In that case” said Zeno, Abi’s wonder and fascination bringing a warm glow of joy to him too, rising up in his chest, “you’ll just have to tell me all about it.”

Abi gave him a slight smile, bright golden eyes flickering to the side to meet Zeno’s. “Of course I will.”

**Author's Note:**

> As a solar physicist in my real life, I love the idea that Abi's eyes let him see sunspots because his vision can't be damaged by light that's too bright. (Fun fact that not many people appreciate: you CAN actually see sunspots in visible wavelengths of light! The only reason they're not obvious with the naked eye is that the sun is so bright and will damage your eyes unless you use a filter. Which is where the headcanons that became this fic started off...)
> 
> (Also I feel compelled to add a PSA: really, don't look directly at the sun, readers. Unless you happen to be Seiryuu or Ouryuu. But even then it's probably best avoided.)


End file.
